ETA: I think most of the negative things we said about Bush between Nov. 2000 and Jan. 2001 had to do with the tactics used to stop the vote count in Florida than any policies Bush himself proposed as President.   And the dissent over those tactics was aimed as much at other Republicans (Katherine Harris, Jeb Bush, Ted Olson, and republican operatives who went to Florida to stage 'demonstrations' and try to slow down the vote count) as at Dubya himself.
I, for one, was sadly disappointed when Bush finally announced some of his cabinet choices -- e.g., Gale Norton for Interior - after he took office. And even then, the real disappointment set in once I saw their policy decisions in action.   Norton, for example, could talk a good game re caring about the environment, but her decisions always favored industry with little or no regard to environmental concerns.